8 



Mynpoory Canal, February 11, 1871. After examining the Jugger's nest I went along the banks 

 of the winding jheel near the canal, as the ground looked promising for Peregrines and 

 A. ncevioides. To my delight I saw a black, rufous-headed Imperial fly across the jheel and 

 settle on a small beyr tree ; as she perched the bough regularly gave with her weight, and she 

 had some difficulty in keeping her position on the sapling, first spreading out one wing and then 

 the other to keep her balance true. As she was intent on watching the Ducks, I crossed the 

 most shallow part of the jheel, and managed to crawl unobserved behind a cane-field to within 

 thirty yards of the tree, when down she came without injuring a feather.' " 



The food of the Imperial Eagle consists of carrion, hares, moderate-sized birds, and small 

 mammals. The Eev. T. Phillips, writing from North-west India, states that he " shot a specimen 

 of the Imperial Eagle in a lonely tree, where it was perched with its mate. When killed, it had 

 a half-digested rat in its stomach. 



" I once saw this bird fly off with a Partridge which I was on the point of shooting, and 

 after a while managed to bring both down, and found that whilst flying it had gutted the 

 Partridge and partly devoured its entrails. It sometimes seizes hares, with which, if veiy large 

 and heavy, it can only rise about a yard from the ground ; it then flys very slowly off; frequently 

 some of the farmers may be seen running after and frightening it to relinquish its prey. 



" The ' Jumbiz,' as the natives call it, will kill and eat half-grown Peafowls. They often 

 take away a grown Fowl. I once observed it seize a tame half-grown Peafowl which was flying 

 down from a tree ; and almost at the same moment the captor was attacked by another Jumbiz, 

 and the whole fell to the ground together ; running up, I found that the first bird had its wing 

 broken, and could not fly away." 



It is a wary and shy bird, and unless one lies in ambush near a carcass placed as a bait, it 

 is by no means easy to get within gunshot of it. Mr. A. Anderson writes that he " at first found 

 impossible to get within shot of these Eagles, though 1 used a double-barrel No. 7 Duck-gun, 

 carrying seven drachms of powder and two ounces of shot. Latterly, however, I devised means 

 by which a bird was hardly lost, and not only saved myself a considerable amount of ammunition, 

 but also bodily suffering. Happening to be out one morning without my gun, I rode up to an 

 Imperial which was perched on the top of a babool, some 25 feet high, in order to see how close 

 the bird would allow me to approach. Having got to about 20 yards from the tree, and the 

 bird showing no signs of uneasiness, I stalked her in a circuitous way (the same as one does when 

 shooting Antelope), narrowing the circle each round I took, till at last I pulled up right under 

 the tree, and looked the Eagle full in the face. She (sex judged from her size) was in the 

 lineated stage, and kept her eyes fixed on me, apparently quite fascinated, and actually refused 

 to fly notwithstanding I waved my hat at her, After this successful manoeuvre I gave up shooting 

 Eaptores on foot, and invariably rode up to them in the manner above described, making my 

 shikaree carry a small gun on my off side, and giving him the order to fire when I got suffi- 

 ciently close." 



My friend Mr. C. Farman also states that in Bulgaria he found it "always shy and difficult 

 to approach, but even more so during the breeding- season ; the male bird is always on the watch, 

 either flying in graceful circles at some height above and about the nest, or seated on some 

 neighbouring tree, whence, on the slightest appearance of danger he comes swooping down 



